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Resolutions  of 
Conf  Pam  #301 


RESOLUTIONS  OF  THE  TEXAS  BRIGADE. 


Camp  Texas  Beigadr, 

January  24lh,  ISGo. 

At  a  meetii)g  of  tbe  1st.  4l.li  and  5th  Texns  and  Arkansas  regi- 
ments, composinsf  the  Texas  brigade  ot  Field's  division,  Longstreet's 
corps,  army  of  Northern  Virginia,  on  motion  of  SergeartMnior 
J.  if.  Leeto,  1st  Texas  regiment,  Private  B  S.  Fitzgerald  was 
chosen  Chairman,  and,  on  motion  of  Private  W.  H.  Burges,  Co. 
D,  4th  Texas,  Lieut.  Haywood  Brahan,  Co.  F,  4th  Texas,  was  ap- 
pointed Secretary. 

Lieut.  Brahan,  being  called  upon,  explained  the  object  of  the 
meeting  in  a  few  brief  and  appropriate  remarks. 

On  motion  of  Private  W.  H.  Burgei^,  Co.  D,  4th  Texas,  a  com. 
mittee  of  five  from  each  regiment  was  appointed  to  draft  resolu. 
tions.  expressive  of  the  ?ense  of  the  meeting.  The  following  is. 
the  committee  as  appointed  by  the  Chairman,  viz; 

Serg'tMtijor  .).  U.  Leeto:  Sercr'ts  F.  M.  Story.  Co.  D :  J.  P 
Surratt,  Co.'ll  and  W.  A.  Shcltun,  Co.  1.  and  Private" J.  T.  Cla.  k,  ( 'o. 
K,  Ist  Texas.  Privat's  W.  [I.  PurgeH,  Co.  I>;  D.  A.  Todd,  Co. 
B,T.  D.  William.s,  Co.  F,  and  Wm  Morri.s.  Cx  F,  and  Serg't.  Wm.  M. 
Baines.  Co.  C.  4th  Texn.s.  Licnt.  B.  P.  Fuller,  Co.  A;  Serg'ts. 
M.  A.  ,1.  ,Fvans,Co.  K  and  T.  F.  Meese,  (Jo.  K;  and  Privates  Thos. 
llaynie,  (-o.  il.  and  U  C.  Shea,  Co.  F,  5th  ToxaR.  Assistant  Sur- 
geon C.  II.  A.  Kleinscliniidls  ;  (Captains  A.  C.  .Jones,  Co.  G,  and 
W.  II  Harrison,  Co.  F  ;  and  Privates  .1.  II.  (Jolsby,  Co.  K.  and  R. 
W   O'Conner,  Co.  F,  Md  Arkansas. 

The  committee  then  retired  to  c'')nt^id(M-  the  preparation  of  reso- 
lutions. During  the  recess,  the  meeting  was  agreeably  and  plea- 
santly entertained  by  eloquent  and  patriotic  speeches  from  Lieut. 
Col.  C.  M.  Winkler  and  Private  T.  D.  Williams,  4th  Texas.  At 
the  close  of  Private  Williams'  j^peech,  the  committee,  through  its 
Chairman,  Serg't-Major  J.  H.  Leete,  reported  the  following  reso- 
lutions, which,  on  motion  of  Lieut.  Col.  C.  M.  Winkler,  were 
unanimously  adopted  by  the  meeting: 

RESOLUTIONS. 

Whereas,  We  have  seen  with  feelings  of  sadnesp,  the  clouds  of 
gloom  and  despondency  that  have  recently  gathered  in  the  sky  of 
our  young  nation,  but  which  are  now  happily  being  dispelled  by 
returning  confidence,  therefore  we,  the  army,  who  are  the  people, 
and  the  people  who  are  the  country,  deem  it  not  inappropriate,  Imt 
fit  and  proper,  that  we  should,  in  a  meeting  composed  of  the  Tcxa.s' 
brigade,  comprising  the  1st,  4th  and  5th  Texas  and  3d  Arkansas 
regiments,  make  known  to  our  fellow-soldierB,  to  our  country,  '". 
Lhe  enemy,  and  to  the  world,  our   purpose    and    determination  to 


luaiutain,  nt  all  hazards,  am!  l'>  Hie  last  oxlrcmity,  tlic  rights  and  lib- 
erties wliicli  a  merciful  God  has  iiceu  pleased  to  hestow  uj)on  us, 
and  even  to  contend  lur  a  peipelital  se,  ai'ation  from  the  hated  and 
despised  foe,  who  have  murdered  our  ^rey-haired  fathers,  insnlttd 
our  women  and  children,  and  turned  out  fhousands  of  helpless 
families  to  starve — after  r<)l»bin^  them  and  l>urnin<;-  their  houses — 
leaving  them  destitute  of  all  except   their  honoi- :     Therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  )st.  That  btifore  the  commencement  of  the  great  sirua:- 
gle  for  our  rights  and  lil>erties  we  considered  well  the  causes  and 
consequences,  for  vihlcli  wo  were  about  to  talce  up  ai-ms  -  that  our 
cause  was  just  and  that  no  sacrifice  was  so  threat  that  it  could  not 
be  made  in  defence  of  such  a  cause  — that  we  have  gone  boldly  for- 
ward, now  for  nearly  lour  years,  siud  our  determination  has  not 
abated,  but  increased,  having  had  a  cf  arei-  view  of  t!ie  character 
of  the  brutal  foe  with  whom  we  tunt<'iid,  and  gained  frf)m  expe- 
rience, in  close  contact  with  them,  ('crtainly  no  one  now  can  be 
so  blind  and  stupid,  as  not  to  agree  with  us,  that  the  warning  was 
of  inspiration,  and  that  tlv  n  was  the  auspicious  time  to  strike  for 
our  rights;  and  that  we  are  fully  determined  to  go  forward  as  we 
have  done,  and,  if  need  be,  to  renew  our  pledges  of  devotion  to 
our  country;  and  that  we  will  rid  ourselves  of  the  tyranny  the  ene- 
my would  thrust  upon  us,  or  die  in  the  attempt. 

Fesolved,2d.  That  whilst  we  die  battling  in  a  cause,  the  most 
sacred,  for  libeity  and  independence,  against  a  people  S'»  base, 
treacherous  and  despised,  that  language  fails  us  to  properly  p)rtray 
our  detestation  of  them,  we  cannot  be  indiflerent  lookeis-on  at 
those  in  our  own  country,  wh*  would  divide  and  distract  the  conn 
sels  of  the  nation  and  tear  down  the  present  al)le  and  patriotic 
Administration  ;  and,  at  the  s^me  time,  give  aid  and  comfort  to  the 
enemy.  To  politicians  and  demagogue  newsj)aper  editors,  men  in 
and  out  of  positions,  croakers,  and  those  who  are  firing  in  the  rear, 
and  those  who  pull  down,  whilst  we  build  up — we  warn  you  that 
there  is  a  point  beyond  which  you  cannot  go  with  impunity  ;  that 
nothing  will  deter  us  from  the  prosecution  of  our  purpose,  whether 
it  be  our  open  enemies  in  the  front,  or  the  hidden  and  less  respect- 
able enemy  in  our  midst;  for  the  latter  of  wliom,  wo  take  tliis  oc- 
casion to  express  our  most  hearty  scorn  and  contempt 

Resolved,  3d.  That  after  calmly  considering  the  present  situation 
of  aftairs  in  the  Confederate  States,  we  can  see  little  cause,  if  any, 
for  losing  confidence  in  our  firal  success;  but  on  the  contrary, 
iuu(;h  on  which  to  congratulate  ourselves.  In  the  beginning  of  this 
war— lour  years  ago— we  were  a  peaceful,  unwarlike  people,  fol- 
lowing quietly  our  ordinary  avocations,  totally  unused  and  unedu- 
cated to  warfare.  Our  men  had  to  be  organized;  the  material  and 
appliances  with  which  we  have  so  otten  routed  the  enemy  had  to 
be  made  from  the  crude  state,  .^nd  now  let^  the  world  say  if  wo 
have  not  accomplished  much.  'Jhat  there  is  much  yet  to  be  done, 
we  admit,  and  we  declare  ourselves  jirepared  to  undertake  it.  Let 
us  look  back  to  Manassas  the  first  and  second,  Gaines'  Farm,  Chan- 


3 

celloravillo,  Fredcricksburi!;,  Wilderness  and  hundreds  of  oilier 
fields,  where  Conlbderatos  liavo  shown  a  heroism  almost  unequalled 
in  all  past  aj^es  ;  and  let  us  take  now  courage,  if  any  have  f^rown 
weary.  We  may  also  admit  that  the  enemy  have  lar<j^e  armies,  but 
it  is  the  llabel  of  modern  times,  in  which  is  represented  the  African, 
shoulder  to  shoulder  with  his  l)rother,  the  Yankee,  who  sells  him- 
self for  a  bounty  and  deserts  and  sells  himself  aiijaiu — the  man  with 
the  brogue  so  j-ich — the  avaricious  riet-sian,  and  the  tiungeous  of 
Europe  are  largely  represented.  It  is  not  pos3il>le  tliat  such  a  he- 
terogeneous mass  can  be  united  in  one  common  olijoct.  Whilst  we, 
0  1  the  contrary,  are  a  unit  in  our  resolution  of  purpose  to  be  free 
and  independent  of  those  who  wonld  kill  eight  millions  of  whites  or 
enslave  them,  in  order  to  give  a  pretended  freedom  to  half  that 
number  of  African  negroes.  Lotus  go  bravely  on;  peace  must 
come  sooner  or  later,  and  with  it  our  independence.  Our  final  tri- 
um})h  is  certain  and  inevifablo,  and  our  subjugation  is  an  impossi- 
bility. 

Resolved,  4th.  That  we  can  say  with  perfect  conlidence  to  our 
friends  in  Texas,  Arkansas  and  the  Trans-Mississippi  Department, 
that  at  the  front  all  is  bright,  buoyant  and  hopeful.  We  congratu- 
late them  on  having,  during  the  past  campaign,  driven  the  enemy 
far  back  from  their  frontiers.  We  ask  them  to  stand  firmly  by 
their  armies,  protect  the  wives  and  children  of  the  absent  soldiers, 
and  to  tolerate  no  man  who  will  go  back  in  the  Union  with  the 
Yankees,  but  to  punish  such  treachery  as  it  dei-^erves. 

Resolred,  5th.  That  in  Tresident  Davis,  the  wise,  patriotic,  good 
Chief  Magistrate  of  the  Confederate  States,  we  repose  th<!  most 
perfect  confidence  and  ret-peci,  tendering  him  our  warmest  sympa- 
thies and  co-operation  in  the  onero-is  duties  and  re.-poiisil)ilitie3 
resting  upon  him. 

Resolved,  6lh.  That  for  Gen.  Robert  E.  fjce,  tlie  }2reat  soldier, 
father  and  friend  of  his  army,  we  have  the  love  and  venera- 
tion that  dutiful  children  owe  their  father — that  we  will  always 
follow  where  he  may  direct,  and  assure  him  at  all  times  of  our 
hearty  support  and  co-operation. 

Resolved,  7th.  That  we  invite  all  organizations  in  the  armies  of 
tlie  Confederate  States,  to  couio  forward  and  show  to  the  world,  by 
an  expression  of  their  sentiments,  their  unalteralile  purpose  and 
determination  to  con(|uer  an  honorable  peace. 

Resolved,  8th.  That  the  Secretary  furnish  a  copy  of  these  reso- 
lutions, and  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting,  to  each  of  the  news- 
papers published  in  Richmond,  Va.,  and  that  the  Texas  and  Arkan- 
sas pjipcrs,  and  all  others  friendly  to  the  cause,  he  re(iuested  to 
copy.  Also,  that  a  copy  be  sent  Pres'dent  Davis,  CJeneral  R  E. 
Lee,  the  Texas  and  Arkansas  Senators  and  Representatives  in  Con- 
gross,  and  to  the  Covernors  of  Texas  and  Arkansas. 

Private  W.  H.  iJurgcs,  4th  'J'exas,  and  Capt.  A.  C.Jones,  3d 
Arkansas,  being  called   upon,  addressed   the  meeting  in  an  appro- 


priate,  eloquent  ami  patriotic  sUio.     Their  Hpcuchcs  were  recoiTcd 
with  great  applauHC  and  enthuf?iasin. 

On  motion  of  Lieut.  Col.  0.  M.  Winkler,  4th  Texns,  the  meeting 
adjourned. 

B.  S.  FITZGERALD,  Chaijinan. 

Haywood  Brahan,  Secretary. 


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